The Deadly Ultimatum

Daniel’s pov

The phone buzzed violently in my pocket, the screen flashing with an unknown number. My heart sank, a gnawing dread already telling me who it was. I answered, my voice steady but my hands trembling.

"Daniel," the voice on the other end was cold, calculated. "If you want to see Lily again, you and Emma need to come to the old warehouse on the outskirts of town. Come alone, or she dies."

"Please, don’t hurt her!" I pleaded, my voice breaking. "We’ll come. Just don’t hurt her."

"You have two hours," the caller said, and the line went dead.

I turned to Emma, my face ashen. "They want us both to go. It's a trap, but we have no choice."

Emma's eyes widened with fear but also a resolute determination. "I'm coming with you."

"No, Emma," I begged, grabbing her hands. "It's definitely a trap for you. I can’t let you go."

"I won’t let you go alone," she replied firmly. "Lily needs us both. We go together."

Despite my protests and desperate attempts to convince her otherwise